Gujarat High Court notice to IAS officer’s wife in US

Ahmedabad, April 3 (IANS) The Gujarat High Court on Saturday issued notice to Shyamal Sharma, wife of suspended IAS officer Pradeep Sharma, to appear before it on June 15, 2016, in connection with a case against her husband being investigated by the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Shyamal Sharma, who lives in the US, is the co-accused in the case where Pradeep Sharma had allegedly sold government land to Welspun Group in an arbitrary manner at a cheaper rate when he was the collector of Kutch district in 2003-04. This, as per the case, caused a loss of Rs.1.2 crore to the state exchequer.

According to the details of the case, Welspun returned the favour by granting Shyamal Sharma a 30 percent partnership in one of its subsidiaries and extended benefits of Rs.29.5 lakh to her.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had invoked the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the matter in 2012, hjolding the money was initially deposited in Shyamal Sharma’s overseas bank account and later transferred to her husband’s account in India, violating the PMLA.

The Gujarat ACB had arrested Pradeep Sharma in 2009 this case but he was later released on bail.

The ACB had filed a petition in a Bhuj court seeking issuance of a summons to Shyamal Sharma in connection with the investigation of the case. But after the district court rejected the plea, it moved the high court. The notice is expected to be served to her in US.